The North Meck men's soccer team is 15-4-2 (as of writing) and is recently coming off a win against West Charlotte 9-0. That match marks 12 matches in a row without a loss dating all the way back to September 12th and gives the team their best record in over a decade. Unfortunately, due to Hough men’s soccer's latest victory over Hopewell, North Meck placed second in the conference and, because of this, received a lower seeded bid in the upcoming playoffs. While this is a huge blow to the team, they still have as much of a shot as anybody to go all of the way in this year's NCHSAA Men's Soccer playoffs.
To take a deeper look on the impact of this successful season, AJ Reid (a junior who plays right back on the team) tells us how this season has impacted him and his teammates and how this season is different from past ones.
[This interview has been edited for clarity]
How does it feel to be a part of a winning team?
AJ: Oh my gosh. My first two years here, let’s just say, weren't the best. This is my first year making the playoffs, and I know this is the first year the seniors have made the playoffs and to be able to make it with them this year is a different experience for me.
What is different about this year compared to last year?
AJ: I would say it would definitely be the coach. He worked us like dogs during the summer, but it's worth it when we see the change in attitude and like the culture around the team even though we pretty much have the same team as last year. The attitude for a team can make a huge difference and it has for us this year. It really doesn't matter how good you are as a player individually or as a team; if you don’t have the attitude or chemistry you're not going to be able to beat anybody.
How did your past experiences as a player — specifically, your years at North Meck — build the player you are today?
AJ: Well for me personally, I would say the losses have impacted me more than the wins because if you win, you're happy about it for about a day or two. But if you lose, you will remember it. Even tying sometimes can really hurt and scar you as a player and it will make you want to become better so it doesn't happen again.
What can the team improve on?
AJ: If I could pick one thing in specific, that would be our ability to finish the goals we are given. Oh, and another thing would be starting off our games with more energy and drive because in all of our losses we started off very slow. When we fix both of these and we are at our best I feel like there is no team that can beat us.
Now, as the team prepares to have a much-anticipated matchup in the first round of the playoffs against Lake Norman, many wonder: can North Meck continue their underdog story? No matter what happens, this season has been a major success and certainly one for the history books. All of the North Meck men’s soccer players and staff should be extremely proud of their accomplishments this season. They all have very bright futures ahead of them. 🆅